Ajax lifted his arm a little, along with his eyebrows, and slowly set it back down to wrap around her. When Mercy uttered the three key words, Ajax tilted his head. He was a little confused, but that wasn't going to stop his brain this time. "I love you too, Mercy. Really, I mean it. Everything I said back there... it was true. You are like a shining star to my dreary path." Ajax smiled slightly, squeezing Mercy's shoulders gently.

Mercy cuddled a little closer to him since he didn't seem to mind her touch as much just then. Her face lit up with a bright, little smile as he spoke, and she gently wrapped her arms around him when he finished. "I'm so glad I met you." She muttered, closing her eyes.

"I'm glad I met you too, Mercy." Ajax mumbled quietly, then took a breath. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you. I may not have been entirely truthful about everything, and I'm quite sorry about that. Back when I was still alive, I met a girl. Yes, this is probably going to go how it would with any normal guy that isn't me. She was sweet and pretty, so of course, I started to like her. Our relationship grew, and we got engaged. A week before the wedding was planned I opened up to her and brought down my thick walls, telling her my fears, hates, loves, and displaying my true self. It was the worst choice I had ever made. The next day I found out she had been cheating on me with one of MY ranchhands all along. I saw her around from time to time, cuddling with that other guy. Our almost wedding day came and passed with no word. That's what caused my ... not wanting to be close to anyone. That's why I usually flinch when you get near, or why I'm reluctant to tell you things. The curse played a role, but that mostly contributed to me not liking woman as much." He let out a dry laugh, shaking his head slightly. "I just wanted to tell you... I think you deserved to know. I feel safe with you, Mercy. I really do. I know your not going to hurt me like she did." Ajax finished with a slight downcast gaze, watching the floor for a moment as if it were actually interesting... which it wasn't... before looking back at Mercy.

Mercy looked up at him as he started to speak, tilting her head with slight dread when he started off that way. She blinked in shock at the fact that he had been engaged- that was something she never would have expected from him. She continued to listen and gave him a slightly empathetic look, sitting up and holding his gaze. "Honestly? That doesn't change anything, Ajax. I'm just really glad I can be her and help you." She murmured softly, giving him a little smile. "But... I do have one question." She added, in a mock serious tone. "If you were literally engaged- how have you never had a kiss before me?" She asked in confusion, teasingly, though.

Ajax let out a breath of relief. One he had been holding since he had decided he wanted to tell Mercy. -Any more secrets you have in that stupid brain of yours?- Ajax thought drily, though his eyes twinkled happily as he watched Mercy... with a newfound passion. When she said she had a question the smile that had been growing fell and he sighed, knowing it wasn't going to be serious. When she asked he groaned slightly, leaning back. "Because my father had always wanted... if I ever got engaged or Hurumph married, for it to be rather formal. Literally his second to last sentence to me was: Remember, you are not allowed to have any physical contact with a girl before you are married. Understand that, boy?" Ajax snorted, copying his father's tone perfectly. Deep, spiteful, slightly disgusted, and spitting out the word 'boy' like it was a rotten tomato. "But that doesn't matter now that I'm a DEMON and he is DEAD and I get to do whatever I want." He grinned jokingly, pondering a thought he had pushed in the back of his mind for a while.

Mercy raised her eyebrows through his explanation, snickering at the end. "Oooh, aren't you so rebellious, going against your father and cuddling with a girl. How absolutely scandalous." She teased, giving him an overdramatic peck on the cheek. "He would absolutely explode if he could see you now." She said sarcastically, settling back into him. "But really, I want you to know that if you're not comfortable for me to be touching you, you can tell me that. I'll respect that and I'll stop. You know that, right?" She asked, her tone transitioning into seriosity.

"Well I was never much of one to follow the rules, was I?" Ajax snorted, looking amused. "You don't know how true that statement is.." he chuckled and ran a hand through his hair as he thought about what WOULD happen if his father saw him now. Ouch. When Mercy did start to sound a little serious, Ajax listened for the sarcastic, teasing, or joking tone... but never heard it... so he actually paid attention. "I know that. Yes you can be extremely annoying when you get close just to tease me into a frazzle, but I'm used to that now, I guess. No more frazzles for you." Ajax joked with a slight smile, his gaze sparkling as he looked at Mercy, then changing to questioning. "Though, one thing. Touchy subject. I have confirmed my father... is not in hell. Which is not a fun prospect. There is no way he is in heaven. That leaves two options: he was recruited as an Angel... which is more than extremely doubtful, or he was recruited as a demon. I have a bad feeling about that one, and I want to ask you one thing. If he figures out a way to find me, will you please as least say something sarcastically rude, if not punch him in the face? Please?" Ajax sounded serious during the beginning, and serious during the end... which wasn't normal. Yes, it disturbed him that his merciless father was most likely a demon at this point. Yes, he would punch that man in the face himself if he got the chance. Aaaand yes, he was actually serious when speaking to Mercy.

Mercy smiled as he spoke, shrugging. "Well, I can live with no frazzles. I'll just have to find new ways to frazzle you." She teased, looking up to watch him as he started again, seriously this time. She raised her eyebrows towards the beginning, and ended with her head tilted up at him. "Wait, like... seriously? Because that's not something you have to ask me to do. I'll do that anyway."

Ajax snorted a little. "Believe me, once you get past my steel exterior, the thousands of guards, the walls, the cannons, the missiles, and the other artillery... nothing much can frazzle me." He grinned, and nodded as Mercy asked if he actually meant it. At her words, Ajax looked quite pleased. "Splendid! I'm sure if anyone met my father for the second time they would do that, so I'm VERY GLAD I won't have to prompt you." Ajax joked with a grin, his eyes flitting out the window... quickly.. again.

"Well, I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Mercy teased, smiling at him when he spoke. She watched him glance out the window, sitting up and glancing at it in turn. "Why do you keep looking out there?" She asked curiously, standing and stretching quietly, glancing at the TV.